I took a nice, gentle, leisurely stroll with the family yesterday in one of the many regional parks that surround my home. The weather was decent enough to not have to wear a coat and, as long as you kept off man-made trails, there was no need for mudboots. As we wandered merrily along, it was not hard to notice all of the life that was springing up. Everywhere you looked, tiny plants were stretching their arms towards the Heavens as if to hug the sky. Pretty white flowers, some purples, and even pinks were blossoming all around. Mushrooms and other fungi, were present, but not as they were just a few weeks ago. All of this, was a clear sign that Spring is upon us...at least some of us.
Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes the multitude of Yin Yang relationships that occur at every moment of the day, every day of the year, every year of every century and every century of every millenia. From this we can develop a description of what is occurring at any given time and how it relates to the surrounding period. Spring is the start of the Yang seasons and is represented by the tail of the white fish in the Yin Yang symbol. Evidence of Yin is still abundant but the tip in scales towards Yang shows clearly also. Spring is a time for upward and outward expansion. It is the time when Earth clings to precious moisture because Water from the Heavens is slowly ceasing. The water that has already returned to the earth is now promoting the growth of plant roots and as the water sinks deeper into the ground, the roots dive after it. What goes down, must come up...so we see life "spring" up.
In Five Element Theory, the season of Spring is referred to as Wood and is associated with the color green. Makes sense. We came out of winter, Water, which is now promoting Wood, Spring. There is new growth of vibrant greens everywhere. The organs corresponding to Wood are the Liver and Gallbladder. The Liver is a Yin organ because it is solid and its functions are essential to life. The Gallbladder is a Yang organ because it is hollow and provides an action for life. When we think of the Wood element, we should also think of thinking. Wood promotes thought and is attributed to memory and organization as well. Memory and organization require vision. Without vision we cannot see where we are going nor where we have been. The eyes are the sensory organ which will show the stress of the Liver. Anger and resentment are the emotions associated with Wood.
As trees and plants grow, their branches and stems move outward. The operative words in that sentence are "grow", "move" and "outward". Trees have trunks which support limbs with joints or elbows. Tissues of plant life tend to grow in long strands called fibers and these fibers, together, make the connective tissue that allows the plant to hold a shape, climb or grow, and move outward from the body of the plant. In the human body, we call these tissues tendons and ligaments. Muscles do not move our bodies, tendons and ligaments do, like strings on a marionette.
Take for instance Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Medical science recognizes this as inflammation in the tissues (tendons) passing through the bones of the wrist and hand or Carpal Tunnels. When the tissues are inflamed, they swell and do not allow for movement without triggering pain. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and, to a lesser extent, Repetitive Motion Syndrome, are usually associated with persons who work on a computer. The tendons in the hand are overworked by hours spent typing on a keyboard every day for a long period of time. Other diagnoses that present with persons with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome are usually migraine headaches and diminished eyesight. They may also experience more instances of acid reflux and if you took their coffee away, they'll get angry and hurt you.
The Gallbladder channel begins at the corner of the eye (what stares at the monitor all day), descends to the jaw joint, zig zags over the ear and circles back to the forehead (where migraines usually start). It continues back across both parietal lobes or sides of the head (where migraines party hard) and moves down the back of the neck on either side of the cervical spine. Those two soft spots where the back of the skull meets the neck are great for helping to release tension from the head. The channel picks up again on the sides of the trunk of the body at about the same level or higher as the nipple. It travels down the sides, with a deviation by the Liver/Gallbladder area and then pretty much follows the pant seam all the way down to the ankle. The channel goes to just under the outside ankle in the hollow that exists there and then moves across the foot towards the second-to-last toe, or ring toe, where it exits the body. Most of the major tendons and ligaments of the body that are necessary for upright posture and locomotion are situated right along this line.
The Liver channel begins at the big toe and travels up the foot across the top between the bones of the first and second toes. Once it reaches the crease of the foot and leg, it moves up the inside of the leg directly opposite the Gallbladder channel, where it then crosses the channel and stops at the level of the Liver.
Spring is a great time to promote the health of the Liver and Gallbladder by eating from the new greens. The increase in daylight means the Sun is giving more precious energy to plants. Be sure to get plenty of sleep, though, and avoid excess alcohol consumption or greasy, fried foods. All of these have a negative effect on the Liver and Gallbladder and will inhibit your Spring growth. So awaken from your long winter's nap, stretch your arms toward the sky, uproot yourself and get moving like a spring chicken.
The information contained herein is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition, nor to insult or demean anyone or any being. Please respect this boundary. Otherwise, anything goes.
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